Ever since starting in 2014, Registered Nurse Michele Scarborough has found her career at Northside Hospital to be rewarding professionally and personally. The personal warmth of Northside culture was evident immediately. Michele says, “We had just moved to Georgia and had no family here. The staff at Roswell GI lab became like family to me!”

She also remembers the kindness she encountered when interviewing for her clinician position at Northside Forsyth. “I was in the wrong building and had no idea where I was going. I ran into the nicest employee who walked me over to where I needed to be. I was so
grateful!” Michele says. “To me, that is the typical Northside employee, willing to go above and beyond to help out a coworker, patient, family—anyone.”

The professional rewards of working at Northside have been just as abundant.

When looking to take her career in a different direction in 2019, Michele transferred to the Northside Forsyth Surgical Services Education Department. “ I love training new staff and helping current staff Pigure out the best ways to do things. This job is a perfect Pit,” Michele
says. “When a new hire or a new transfer tells me ‘thank you,’ it really makes me feel proud of what we do here.”

Of course, she’s faced her share of challenges, too, with COVID being at the top of the list. Michele says, “I started right before COVID – and that changed my position so much. I was helping to run COVID testing in the parking garage and stepping in as an interim leader in our pre-surgery clinic departments—and that’s in addition to my ‘usual’ responsibilities. There is never a dull moment!”

Michele credits strong Northside support and leadership with getting her through the tough times and beyond. “I absolutely love working for surgical services. We have hands down the most supportive and best leadership. They’ve inspired me and helped me grow so much,” Michele says.

When she looks back on the past eight years at Northside, Michele notes that, “I feel so fortunate I was able to start with such a great organization. I work with the best and brightest – and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this team.”

Michele continues to Pind the Northside culture the ideal environment for ongoing professional success and rich relationships with her colleagues. “ My coworkers have become like second families to me. I mean, we voluntarily eat lunch together every day. How many coworkers can say that!”

Every day, Northside Hospital’s physicians, nurses, and other clinical and non-clinical professionals face some of the most significant medical challenges imaginable while providing the highest level of skilled, compassionate patient care. These situations create a great deal of physical stress and strain. Patient care can take a tremendous psychological and emotional toll on the caregiver. The circumstances of the past several years have only increased the pressures these tirelessly dedicated healthcare heroes face.

How do we ensure that those who strive so hard to care for others receive the care they need and deserve?

That’s where Northside Hospital’s STAR (Striving To Achieve Resilience) program comes in. Modeled after the Resilience in Stressful Events team at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the STAR program establishes a framework and culture where our employees can provide skilled, nonjudgmental, and confidential support to other Northside employees and employee groups.

How does STAR work? This unique program facilitates the development of peer-responders within Northside who will deliver psychological first aid and emotional support to their fellow teammates following complex work-related events. Peer-responders are given comprehensive training to ensure they have the competence and confidence to help those suffering from work-related issues such as burnout, self-doubt, and more.

The STAR program is one of the ways in which we cultivate a caring, supportive environment for our employees. But it doesn’t stop there:

• Employee Assistance Program to care for various emotional, psychological, and lifestyle needs.
• Personal nurse to help provide the high-quality care you give to your patients.
• LA Fitness membership discounts help you get and stay in shape.
• Smoking Cessation Program helps people kick the habit while managing stress levels, avoiding weight gain, and coping with withdrawal symptoms.

We understand the need because we have been there and want to be sure we support our dedicated caregivers in every way.

Search for an opportunity that matches your interests and qualifications.

The notion that a person could retire from their job and live comfortably off a pension is a mostly outdated notion. But it’s a reality for employees of Northside Hospital!

Northside Hospital offers valuable benefits that help employees plan for a comfortable tomorrow, but the most significant differentiator for Northside is the pension plan.

Northside is the ONLY hospital in the region offering a traditional lifetime pension plan benefit. The pension benefit:

• It starts on day one and builds a guaranteed income stream for retirement.
• It costs employees nothing, participation is automatic (requires no action from the employee), and the benefit continues to grow if the employee works at Northside at least 1,000 hours yearly.
• With the uncertain future of Social Security and volatility in financial markets, this becomes even more valuable than ever.

Even when retirement is a long way off, Northside provides other financial benefits that contribute to financial security – now and in the future:

•  Northside’s Student Loan Repayment Opportunity benefit provides a monthly reimbursement of up to a lifetime maximum of $10,000, freeing up income that can begin growing in an employee’s 403(b) account.
• Tuition Reimbursement is another financial support benefit that helps employees grow their careers through education while limiting their out-of-pocket costs.

Recent Northside retiree, Greg Johnson, is an excellent example of the value of Northside’s pension plan. Greg states, “As is the case with many retirees, we didn’t have to reduce our standard of living when I retired – primarily because of the Northside pension plan. If we didn’t have my Northside pension benefits, we would be pulling funds from our retirement savings. In fact, my pension benefit meant I actually got a raise when I retired.”

Greg Johnson makes the most of his time after a career with Northside. “We’ve traveled and visited our grandchildren. I love fishing, and I’m buying a new boat, so I can go bass fishing with my grandchildren. We also have time to spend supporting various ministries at my church. It’s wonderful to be able to focus on enjoying our free time without financial worries.”

Retiring without financial worries opens a world of rewarding possibilities filled with traveling or spending more time with family and friends, volunteering for a favorite cause, or just relaxing and catching up on hobbies.

Another example is Sherrie Kuhns, who started at Northside a year after the hospital opened and is now retired and enjoying the fruits of her pension plan. “I was really happy and amazed at how much I received in retirement from Northside! We were able to sell our house, buy a new house and retire comfortably.” At her new house, Sherri enjoys time spent gardening. And the best part, according to Sherrie? “I get to sleep in as late as I want.”

Here are some of the details of Northside Hospital’s pension plan:

• Northside fully pays for the plan; employees contribute $0. Employees’ pension benefit begins growing on day one from hire, with automatic enrollment after age 21 and one year of service. Employees are fully vested after five years of service (1,000 hours or more worked in a year).
• Once vested, retirement benefits can begin early as age 55, with full retirement benefits at age 65; survivor benefit options are available if the Northside retiree were to pass away.
• When combined, Northside’s 403(b) savings plan match and pension plan provide 3 to 4 times the value of the average retirement benefits offered by other regional health systems.

Northside Hospital’s fully funded pension plan provides employees with financial security rarely found with other employers. When you combine the pension with Northside’s 403(b) retirement plan (with employer match), your future looks brighter than ever. Search now for an opportunity that matches your interest and qualifications!

They sometimes say that those who can’t do, teach. That’s not the way it is at Northside Hospital! Our clinical educators are also some of the most skilled practitioners around. Take Niecy Jones for example. Niecy joined Northside Forsyth over six years ago as a Lead Surgical Technologist and has been sharing her knowledge and expertise with her colleagues ever since.

Not long after joining the Northside team, Niecy played an instrumental part in the opening of Northside’s 1800 Surgical Care Center. As Niecy recalls, “My favorite memory at Northside is helping open the 1800 Surgical Care Center. Having the opportunity to partner with several disciplines from different backgrounds to achieve a goal will always be one of the highlights of my career. The 1800 Surgical Care center will always be my baby.” In addition to her hands-on role, Niecy also served as a preceptor and mentor to surgical students and new hires.

While serving as a Lead Surgical Technologist, Niecy was soon able to live out her passion for teaching and education. As Niecy recalls, “My proudest moment at Northside was being promoted to the Surgical Tech Educator position. I have always had a passion for teaching. Therefore, transitioning to my current role as a tech educator was a dream come true. Having been in this position for four years now, I have become more passionate about contributing to the department’s great culture and team. Northside’s values, beliefs, and commitment to quality align perfectly with my own.”

Northside’s focus on professional growth and development is a constant source of inspiration for Niecy. “There is continuous learning and training available to all team members from the first day of employment. I am always developing the skill sets and knowledge needed to provide safe quality care to my patients. This makes me feel that I am improving, which encourages me to stay with the company.”

But Niecy’s favorite part of her job is the people she works with. In fact, she feels that the Education Department is like her home away from home. She loves being able to work in an office with people that are professional, supportive, and caring. It makes coming to work easy. “We work as a team, and we always have each other’s backs. Northside also ensures that every employee feels important and knows that their role is valued, and that they are part of a team. I love the work environment!”

What would Niecy say to someone looking to grow their career at Northside? “You won’t regret it! It is one of the best organizations I have ever worked for. The key to being successful is to possess a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a love for what you do.”

Thank you, Niecy, for sharing your passion for education with us!